Hy-Vee participates in walk to promote health and wellness

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A Midwestern supermarket-pharmacy chain is taking part in an event that's part of a program whose stated goal is to make Iowa the healthiest state in the country.

Hy-Vee announced that more than 100 of its stores would take part in the second Healthiest State Walk on Wednesday. Hy-Vee stores will help organize the one-kilometer walks in their communities and offer prizes to encourage people, businesses and schools to participate.

More than 291,000 residents took part in 5,645 walks last year to kick off the five-year Healthiest State Initiative, pushed by Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.

"We know a one-kilometer walk, in and of itself, isn't going to have a big impact on an individual's health," Hy-Vee assistant VP health and wellness and Healthiest State Initative executive director Helen Eddy said. "But when hundreds of thousands of Iowans join their neighbors and co-workers and classmates to walk together, it sends a powerful message about our commitment to making Iowa the healthiest state."